Detachable socket-type steering connection assembly for outboard motors



Aug. 16, 1960 Filed April 24, 1959 W. SM DETACHABLE SOCKET-TYPE STEERING CONNECTION ASSEMBLY FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. WALTER N. SMITH ATTORNEY Aug. 16, 1960 w. N. SMITH 2,949,093

DETACl-IABLE SOCKET-TYPE STEERING CONNECTION ASSEMBLY FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed April 24, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 2 7 4 29 INVENTOR. WALTER N. SMITH ATTORNEY United States Patent DETACHABLE SOCKET-TYPE STEERING CON- NECTION ASSEMBLY FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Walter N. Smith, 928 SE. 7th Ave., Portland, Oreg.

Filed Apr. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 808,616

4 Claims. (Cl. 115-18) This invention relates to means for steering outboard motors on motor-driven boats, and, more specifically, relates to the steering of such an outboard motor by means operable within the boat at a location remote from the motor. The invention is concerned in particular with outboard motors of the type which are so arranged as to be easily and quickly removed from the boat.

Removably mounted outboard motors are customarily hinged on a support bracket which in turn is removably secured on the stern gunwale of the boat. The steering of the boat is then accomplished by swinging the outboard motor, and therewith the motor-driven propeller, slightly from one side to the other. In boats where .the steering of the boat, and consequently the swinging of the outboard motor and propeller to one side or the other, is done by someone positioned forwardly in the boat instead of being positioned in the rear of the boat close to the outboard motor, the steering cable, attached to the customary steering Wheel, is connected to the outboard motor.

Since outboard motors of the removable type are generally removed from the boat whenever the 'boat is not in use, and, in addition, frequently are removed when the boat is to be beached or grounded in shallow water, it is necessary to be able to disconnect the outboard motor from the steering cable quickly and easily to permit the outboard motor to be removed readily. However, when the ends of the steering cable are disconnected from the outboard motor to permit such removal of the motor, the disconnected ends of the steering cable are often left loose. This releases the tension on the steering cable, among other disadvantages, and results in more inconvenience in connecting the steering cable up with the outboard motor again when the outboard motor is remounted in place on the boat.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved steering cable connection through which the ends of the steering cable can be quickly and easily disconnected from the outboard motor and can be just as quickly and easily connected again to the outboard motor without any inconvenience or waste of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical and relatively inexpensive assembly for connecting the steering cable with an outboard motor which will prevent any inadvertent disconnecting of the steering cable from the outboard motor when the outboard motor is being used, and which will prevent any looseness or back lash developing in .the connection as a result of motor vibration or through wear in the parts .of the connection in prolonged usage.

xained throughthe useof. the .deachable steering con nection assembly hereinafter briefly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view showing the different members of the steering connection assembly in perspective, entirely separated from each other, but arranged in their relative positions with respect to each other;

:Fig. 2 is a partly diagrammatic plan View illustrating the steering cable of the boat attached to the outboard motor through the medium of the steering connection assembly;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation taken on line 33'of Fig. 2, with the steering handle and mounting for the outboard motor shown in full line and' the remainder of the outboard motor indicated by broken line;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the connection assembly, taken on line 44 of Fig. 3, but drawn :to a larger scale, showing the entire assembly in operating position and attached to the steering handle of the outboard motor;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken on the line indicated at 5--5 in Fig. 4; and

.Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the assembly taken on the line indicated at 66 in Fig. 5 and drawn to the same scale as Fig. 4.

Referring first to Figs. 2 and 3, the outboard motor is indicated in general by the reference character 10 and this outboard motor is assumed to be of the familiar type adapted to be detachably secured on the rear of the boat, the boat being indicated at 1-1. The outboard motor is provided with the steering handle 12, intended to be manually used for steering unless the outboard motor is connected to a steering cable in the boat. Fig. 2 shows such a steering cable 13, connected with the customary steering wheel 14, located forwardly from the rear of the boat, with the cable passing around the customary pulleys indicated and with the two ends of the cable being attached to the boat at opposite sides at the rear by suitable means indicated at 15.

As shown in Fig. 3, the outboard motor 10 is hingedly supported on a substantially vertical hinge shaft mounted in a supporting member 16, which member in turn is mounted on a clamping bracket 17 which is removably' clamped on the rear gunwale of the boat. The description thus far covers a well-known type of outboard motor and the customary support mounting for the same. Although there are some minor variations with different makes of outboard motors the general arrangement is the same with all. The steering of the boat is accomplished, as is well-known, by swinging the outboard motor slightly to one side or the other, as previously mentioned, by means of its steering handle .12 or similar steering arm.

The steering connection assembly of the present invention includes a specially formed bracket .18 (Figs. 1, 3, ,4 and 5) which is so arranged as to be firmly secured on the steering handle 12 (or other suitable member) on the outboard motor by suitable means, such as a bolt passing through a hole provided in the steering handle 12. This bracket 18 has an integral arm 19 (shown best in Figs. 1 and 5) which extends obliquely downwardly and inwardly with respect to the boat. The main lower portion of this integral arm .19 is formed with a pair of lateral extensions which are bent around towards each other so as to provide a pair of curved, opposite, spaced, downwardly extending. flanges 20, 20 (see also Fig. 6), which converge slightly towards each other downwardly. The lower central portion of the arm 19 is provided with an aperture 21 (Figs. 1 and 5) which loosely holds asto. provide a suitable .finger grip, and the inner end of this holding element carries a locking cross pin 24. The main purpose of the locking cross pin 24 will be explained presently, but it also serves to prevent the holding element 22 from dropping out of the aperture 21 in the arm 19 when the steering cable of the boat is not connected with the bracket 18. A coil spring 25 is carried on the stem portion of the holding element 22, being placed between the head 23 and the rear face of the arm 19.

A coupler 26, adapted to be removably secured onthe bracket 18, consists of an elongated front plate 27 (Figs. 1, 4 and 6), and a central rear tongue 28 integrally connected to the top of the front plate 27 at the center thereof and bent over so as to extend downwardly substantially parallel to but spaced a short distance behind the front plate. The width of this rear tongue 28 is substantially equal to the inside spacing between the two side flanges 20, 20 of the arm 19, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, and the edges of the tongue 28 converge downwardly slightly towards each other to correspond to the convergence of the the flanges 20, 20. Thus, when the coupler 26 is set in place on the flanged arm 19, the front plate 27 of the coupler will be positioned in front of the flanges 2t 20 of the arm 19 and the tongue 28 of the coupler will extend down between the flanges so that the coupler 26 will rest in this position on the arm 19, the flanges 20, 20 forming a socket for the tongue 28.

The tongue 28 of the coupler 26 is provided with an aperture 29 (Figs. 1 and 4) of approximately the same size as the aperture 21 in the arm 19, and, when the coupler 26 is set in place on the arm 19, the two apertures 21 and 29 will be in registration. Unlike the aperture 21, the aperture 29 is provided with a pair of radialIy-extending, diametrically-opposite slots 30, 30 to allow passage of the locking cross pin 24 of the holding element 22. Also, a pair of radially-extending diametrically-opposite grooves 31, 31 are provided on the front face of the tongue 28 adjacent the aperture 29 and arranged spaced (preferably at 90) from the aperture slots 30, 38. The front plate 27 of the coupler 26 is provided with an enlarged aperture 32, the diameter of which is somewhat greater than the length of the cross pin 24 of the holding element 22. The centers of the three apertures 21, 29 and 32 are in substantial alignment when the coupler 26 is resting in place on the arm 19.

When the coupler is set in place on the arm 19 of the bracket 18, the holding element 22 on the arm 19 is pushed forwardly against the force of its spring 25, after the holding element has been turned so that the ends of the cross pin 24 will pass through the slots 30, 30 of the aperture 29 in the tongue 28, the large aperture 32 in the front plate 27 of the coupler providing suitable clearance for the front end of the holding element 22 and its cross pin. Then, when the holding element 22 has been given a turn of 90, it is allowed to be moved backwardly under the force of its spring 25 until the ends of the cross pin 24- rest in the grooves 31, 31. This sccures the holding element in locking position and locks the coupler tightly in place on the arm 19. Any inadvertent disengagement of the holding element is prevented and the coupler is prevented from moving or being moved upwardly from its place or socket on the arm 19 as long as the holding element is not manually disengaged.

To release the coupler 26 from its rest position on the arm 19 of the bracket 18 all that is required is to thrust the holding element 22 forward slightly against the force of its spring 25 While turning it 90, and then allowing it to slip back so that the ends of the cross pin pass through the slots 30, 30, thus moving the holding element entirely out of engagement with the tongue 28. When the holding element is released the coupler 26 can be lifted from its socket on the arm 19, causing the coupler 26 to be entirely disengaged from the bracket 18 cable are passed. When the pulley assemblies 35, 35 have been connected to the coupler 26 the ends of the steering cable are secured to their respective anchorages 15, in the boat through the intermediary of suitable springs 15, 15'. After this has been done the steering cable remains secured to the coupler 26 regardless of whether the coupler is attached to the bracket 18 or detached from it. On the other hand the bracket 18 re mains secured to the outboard motor at all times.

Thus the steering cable does not have to be loosened when the outboard motor is to be disconnected from the steering cable and removed from the boat. The springs 15', 15 allow the cable to give sufficiently to permit the coupler 26 to be lifted from its socket on the arm 19. The connecting up of the coupler 26 and steering cable with the bracket 18 and outboard motor is done very quickly and easily merely by setting the coupler in place in its socket on the arm 19 of the bracket 18. The coupler is locked in its socket easily by manipulation of the simple holding element 22. Since the converging edges of the tongue 28 bear against the converging flanges of the arm 19 as long as the coupler 26 is in place in its socket no looseness or play of the coupler with respect to the bracket 18 can develop in spite of any continuous vibration of the motor or of any wear of the engaging members of the connection assembly. Thus the development of any looseness or back lash in the steering assembly is impossible.

The unlocking and disconnecting of the coupler from the bracket 18 similarly are done very easily and quickly, allowing removal of the outboard motor whenever desired, and the steering cable assembly is not disturbed by repeated dismounting and remounting of the outboard motor.

I claim:

1. In a boat having an outboard motor removably mounted on the rear of the boat and a steering cable, a detachable socket-type assembly for connecting said steering cable with said outboard motor, said assembly including a bracket secured to said motor, a coupler, means for connecting said steering cable to said coupler, means for mounting said coupler on said bracket, said latter mentioned means including a socket on said bracket, an integral portion of said coupler insertable into said socket and manually operable locking means for locking said coupler on said bracket, whereby said coupler may be removed from said bracket and motor without disconnecting said steering cable from said coupler.

2. In a boat having a steering cable and an outboard motor removably mounted on the rear of the boat, a detachable socket-type assembly for connecting said steering cable with said motor, said assembly including a bracket, a member on said motor, said bracket secured to said member, an arm on said bracket, a coupler, means for connecting said steering cable to said coupler, a tongue on said coupler, a pair of side flanges on said arm forming a socket for removably holding said tongue, and locking means on said arm engageable with said tongue for preventing inadvertent removal of said tongue from said socket, whereby said coupler will be firmly secured to said arm by said socket, and whereby said coupler may be removed from said arm and bracket without disconnecting said steering cable from said coupler.

3. In a boat having a steering cable and an outboard motor removably mounted on the rear of the boat, a detachable socket-type assembly for connecting said steering cable with said motor, said assembly including a bracket, a member on said motor, said bracket secured to said member, a downwardly-extending arm on said bracket, a coupler, a pair of pulley assemblies connected to the ends of said coupler respectively, the ends of said steering cable passing around said pulley assemblies respectively and secured in the boat, a downwardly-extending tongue on said coupler, the side edges of said tongue converging slightly downwardly, a pair of side flanges on said arm curved towards each other, said flanges converging slightly downwardly and forming a converging socket for removably holding said tongue, and manually operable locking means on said arm engageable with said tongue for preventing inadvertent removal of said tongue from said socket, whereby said coupler will be firmly secured to said arm by said socket, and whereby said coupler may be removed from said arm and bracket without disconnecting said steering cable from said coupler.

4. In a boat having a steering cable and an outboard motor removably mounted on the rear of the boat, said motor having a steering handle, a detachable socket-type assembly for connecting said steering cable with said motor handle, said assembly including a bracket secured to said handle, a downwardly-extending arm on said bracket, a coupler, a front plate on said coupler, a pair of pulley assemblies connected to the ends of said front plate respectively, the ends of said steering cable passing around said pulley assemblies respectively, spring means in the boat for securing said cable ends, a tongue on said coupler, said tongue centrally attached to the top of said front plate and bent over so as to extend downwardly spaced a short distance behind said front plate, a pair of side flanges on said arm bent towards each other and forming a socket for said tongue, said arm having an aperture, a holding element on said arm slidable in said aperture, locking means on said holding element, said tongue having an aperture in substantial reg istration with said arm aperture when said tongue is resting in place in said socket, and means combining with said tongue aperture for releasably receiving and securing said locking means and thereby preventing inadvertent removal of said tongue from said socket, whereby said coupler will be firmly secured to said arm by said socket and tongue, and whereby said coupler may be removed from said arm and bracket without disconnecting said steering cable from said coupler.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,895,445 Foraker July 21, 1959 

